Harry Potter and the American Vacation
by Emmie-loves-Draco
Summary: Emerald Bates is just an ordinary american witch having a boring summer... until Harry and Ron fly into her life, that is! rating may change later on. pls r&r!


***Authors notes*** Hey everyone. So here's the deal, this is my first fanfic EVER, so pleeeeeeeeeze be nice! I mean, I want you to tell me if it sucks and I should throw my comp in the lake, but don't bitch at me just becuz you don't like something! Except the title, you can tell me you don't like that, cuz I think it sucks too, so give me suggestions for what to change it to! Ok, without further ado, I present to you Chapter 1 of Harry Potter and the American Vacation! ~~~pretty please review this, I wanna know if it's good or not!!!~~~~ ***  
  
Harry Potter and the American Vacation  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Emerald Bates' Tuesday began just like any other that summer. She stumbled out of bed around noon and spent the next 45 minutes staring blankly at the same page of Quidditch World while chewing sullenly on a piece of toast and drinking cup after cup of coffee. At last tshe washed up and dressed and moced with good intentions toward her summer reading, then cringed and backed away just like she had every morning since school let out. She knew she'd have to tangle with the homework eventually, but she couldn't bear the thoughts of it just yet.  
  
Emerald went back and stared at herself in the mirror for a bit, trying to get a rather stubborn piece of her Shocking Violet hair to lie down. Her turquoise eyes narrowed in frustration as the offending lock just kept popping right back up. She wished terribly she could use magic at home-she knew just the spell to get it to do what she wanted. But as it was, she guessed she was stuck with it.  
  
She attempted to Floo her best friend Andy who as she predicted was not yet up. And neither was anyone else she felt like talking to. There was only one thing for it: go play with the muggles. Emerald loved venturing out into the muggle world and hanging out with its inhabitants. She had several muggle acquaintances, around Nashville, who while not quite spectacular, were genuinely good people that she found entertaining.  
  
It had been a problem at first, not being up to speed on muggle TV or music, but she managed to pass it off with what she'd once heard Haley from the coffee shop describe as a "too-indie-rock-for-you" attitude. She'd passed Wizard groups off as muggle ones, and everyone had just thought they must not be cool enough to have heard of them. She'd made up a boarding school in the wilds of Iowa that she supposedly attended to help with her excuse, and nobody blinked an eye.  
  
When she arrived at the coffee shop, she found Meg, one of the regulars, reading a newspaper. "Hey, Em," she said. "Look at this wack-ass article!" Meg exclaimed, throwing the Tennesseean at Emerald.  
  
The story was a report of a flying car seen over downtown. Emerald racked her brains for anyone she knew who could possibly own a flying car, and could come up with nothing. But she didn't know all the wizards in the country or in the state for that matter, so she just figured it was no one she knew.  
  
"Do you think it's real?" Emerald finally managed to say.  
  
Meg just cackled. "Em, you're nuts! Cars can't fly! It's just some crackpot with Photoshop and some time on his hands!"  
  
Sure it was. Emerald resolved to find out who it had been. She stuck around the coffee shop for a respectable amount of time, then left with an excuse about having a dentist appointment. She went downtown and through the gateway into the wizard area known as Mirror Way.  
  
She all but ran into Kyna. Kyna Blackwood was a long-time acquaintance from school-rival, rather. But it was a somewhat good-natured academic rivalry. The two of them were in constant competition for the tops spot in their class at the Richland Academy of the Magical Arts.  
  
"Walk much, Bates?" was Kyna's greeting.  
  
Emerald rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I was blinded by your beauty."  
  
Kyna had a pinched, pale look to her face and was kind of crosseyed and sickly-looking.  
  
"Did you read the muggle paper today?" Emerald asked, getting down to business.  
  
"Flying cars? Yeah. Somebody's going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble, being seen like that."  
  
"You don't know who it was?"  
  
"Nah. I heard it was a Ford Anglia, though."  
  
"A *what*?"  
  
"They don't make 'em anymore, and they only sold them in England."  
  
"England? You mean somebody flew that thing all the way here from England?"  
  
"At some point, it sounds like."  
  
"The Doyles are from England, aren't they?"  
  
"Yeah, but Bridget would never do anything so utterly. gauche, I suppose she'd say. And Stephen is off visiting relatives I just happen to know."  
  
Emerald raised an eyebrow. She'd had a crush on Stephen Doyle since her second year. "Oh, do you?"  
  
Kyna laughed. "Relax, Bates. I only know because his mother wouldn't shut up about it. Honestly, why don't you just ask him out."  
  
Emerald shrugged. "He'd probably be a disappointment."  
  
"Probably. You coming to the game tonight or are you going off to get trashed with the muggles again?"  
  
"Depends if Andy's going or not. I've yet to actually talk to him today. Anyway, I'm going to go down to the Dragon's Lair and see if anyone's heard anything about this car business."  
  
"Why do you care so much?"  
  
"It's something to do. And maybe I want to go for a ride."  
  
"Good luck," said Kyna, turning on her heel and walking off.  
  
~~~to be continued~~~  
  
Geeeeeee, duhhhh, I wunder who's car that thar could be, Clem! Ya, well, just because *we* know doesn't mean they know! Okay, so is it okay? Good, bad, ugly, what? Tell! Please leave me reviews!! Lots of them!!!  
  
~~till we meet agan, my sweets ~**~Emmie~**~ 


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